Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yoveracruz’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yoveracruz’, characterized by its uniform and outwardly spreading plant habit; strong and freely branching growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform flowering response and habit; typically grown as a spray-type; early flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with spoon or quill-shaped ray florets; golden bronze-colored ray florets and green-colored disc florets that develop slowly; and good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about three to five weeks in an interior environment.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yoveracruz.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yoveracruz’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Fort Myers, Fla. The objective of the program is to create or discover new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, numerous inflorescences, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in May, 1998, in Salinas, Calif., of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Spears, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,620, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemum seedling selection identified as code number YB-5897, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor in March, 1999, as a single flowering plant from within the resulting progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Fort Myers, Fla.

The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, numerous inflorescences, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in June, 1999. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yoveracruz has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yoveracruz’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yoveracruz’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Uniform and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Strong and freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   4. Uniform flowering response and habit.     -   5. Typically grown as a spray-type.     -   6. Early flowering, eight week response time.     -   7. Daisy-type inflorescences with spoon and quill-shaped ray         florets.     -   8. Golden bronze-colored ray florets and green-colored disc         florets that develop slowly.     -   9. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good         substance and color for about three to five weeks in an interior         environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Spears. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Spears primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Spears have white-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more vigorous than plants of the cultivar Spears.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the male parent selection have red purple-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about one week earlier than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Golden State, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,694. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fort Myers, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Golden State in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were shorter than plants of         the cultivar Golden State.     -   2. Plant habit of the new Chrysanthemum was more uniform than         plant habit of the cultivar Golden State.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Golden State         differed in inflorescence form as plants of the cultivar Golden         State had anemone-type inflorescences.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Yoveracruz’ grown as spray-types.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yoveracruz’ grown as spray-types.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown and flowered during the autumn in Salinas, Calif., in a fiberglass-covered greenhouse and under conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemum production. During the production of these plants, the following conditions were measured: day temperatures, 21 to 27° C.; night temperatures, 17 to 19° C.; and light levels, 5,000 to 6,000 foot-candles. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in 15-cm containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions, and pinched once about two weeks later. At the time of the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were initiated. Plants used for the description were grown as spray-types. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar     Yoveracruz. -   Commercial classification: Daisy-type potted Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Spears, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,620.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary             Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as             code number YB-5897, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten days at 21° C.         -   Root description.—White, close to 155D; fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type potted Chrysanthemum that             is typically grown as a spray-type. Upright with lateral             branches outwardly spreading; uniformly mounded crown.             Strong and freely branching growth habit; about three to             four lateral branches develop after removal of terminal apex             (pinching); dense and full plants.         -   Plant height.—About 21 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 44 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 24 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 2.75 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 9.75 cm. Width: About 6.5 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base:             Attenuate with truncate tendencies. Margin: Palmately lobed,             sinuses between lateral lobes parallel to divergent.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color:             Developing foliage, upper surface: Darker green than 147A.             Developing foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: More green than 147A. Fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B. Venation,             upper surface: Close to 147A to 147B. Venation, lower             surface: Close to 147B. Petiole length: About 2.8 cm.             Petiole diameter: About 3 mm. Petiole color, upper surface:             More green than 147A. Petiole color, lower surface: Close to             147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with spoon and             quill-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals             above foliage. Disk and ray florets develop acropetally on a             capitulum. Inflorescenses not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early flowering; plants             exposed to two weeks of long day/short night conditions             followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions             flower about eight weeks later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about three to five weeks in an interior             environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Grown as a spray-type, about             eight inflorescences develop per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 5.5 mm. Diameter: About             8 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 10.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence depth (height).—About 2.2 cm.         -   Diameter of disc.—About 2 cm.         -   Receptacle diameter.—About 1 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Spoon or quilled-shaped. Orientation:             Initially upright, then about 20° from perpendicular.             Aspect: Mostly straight. Length: About 5.2 cm. Width: About             7 mm. Corolla tube length: About 3.6 cm. Corolla tube             diameter: About 2 mm. Apex: Acute or emarginate. Base: Fused             into a corolla tube. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About 34 arranged in a single             whorl. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 6A overlain with close to 45A; color becoming             closer to 6A with development. When opening and fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 6D underlain with close to             46A; color becoming closer to 6D with development.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Shape: Tubular. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About 8 mm.             Diameter, apex: About 2 mm. Diameter, base: About 1 mm.             Number of disc florets per inflorescence: Numerous,             about 190. Color: Immature: Close to 144A; disc florets             develop slowly. Mature, apex: 9A. Mature, mid-section: Close             to 145C. Mature, base: Close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 28. Length:             About 9 mm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             surface: Waxy, smooth. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 3.9 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 7.1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther color: Close to 12A. Pollen amount: None             observed. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.             Style color: Close to 144B to 144C. Stigma color: Close to             9A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial greenhouse conditions. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yoveracruz’, as illustrated and described. 